Robbers
by LeanaVine
Summary: Alyson Ward suffers a much-too-close encounter with the fabled Slender Man. After being left for dead, Alyson has questions for the strange being in a cool suit. Why does the Beastie test him so? "'Cause I know you." An unusual bond connects them. And Slender gives psychedelic hugs. (Includes OC. Warning of violence and minor character death. Eventual Slenderman/OC.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **When I first started this, I didn't know too much about _Slender_. I'd only played the game once or twice (and scared myself shitless, might I add). But the other day I started watching _Marble Hornets_, and I'm hooked. I mean, I'm only on _Entry #58_, but I love it, and I totally recommend it to anyone interested in _Slender_.

Please leave a review, and I'll put you on the wall of fame! I'll try to keep track as much as possible. If I miss your name, please tell me, and I'll take care of it right away, because I appreciate and love all of my readers.

As always, I do not share any views expressed by any characters in this story. And I own nothing in this story, except for Alyson Ward, her father, and Danny.

Okay, please read, review, and enjoy!

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><p>Danny had stopped the truck in the park. The engine died with a deep grumble, ending with a loud <em>pop. <em>Alyson wasn't ready. She'd known Danny for years. They'd been fishing with their fathers; they'd gone camping with a small group from school; they'd made out under the bleachers on Halloween. Alyson had regretted the last part soon after.

Without the heaters on, Alyson began to shiver lightly. She'd worn a thin sweater, and no jacket. Alyson had assumed they would be somewhere warm most of the night. Danny slipped an arm around her, attempting to pull her into his shoulder, and she _clicked _her seatbelt off. She scooted over, laying her head on his collar. Alyson wasn't ready. She curled and uncurled her fingers into her loose-fitting jeans. Her nails caught her eye briefly. They were blue, and glowed in the dark. The color nearly matched that of her eyes, actually.

Alyson and Danny weren't dating. Danny just had _dibs _on her. They'd only been out a few times together in a romantic way, and they'd made out three times – including Halloween when Danny was a mummy wrapped in toilet paper, and Alyson was an elephant, her favorite animal. She'd had to remove her trunk in order to kiss Danny, and lost it afterwards, leaving her to look more like a mouse.

They sat there for a minute, Danny slowly rubbing her shoulder in an effort to warm her. Alyson shuddered, more in nervousness than coldness. Alyson wasn't ready.

Danny turned to her, hesitantly kissing Alyson's mouth. At first she was non-receptive, just sitting there with her lips sealed tight. However, she decided that it would be the social convention to pucker up and give Danny what he wanted. He was her ride home, after all. Danny raised a hand and tenderly fondled her right breast, feeling her nipple through her shirt and bra. "You're cold."

_'And uncomfortable,' _she thought. With a small smile, she shook her head. "I'm fine."

He smiled, and breathed a sigh before leaning in to kiss her again. Danny pulled her closer, sliding his hands down her sides, and Alyson tensed, her breath choppy. She backed away from him, into her own seat again, and he just stared at her. Finally, he groaned and said in a low, mostly-calm voice, "Damn it, I hate it when you do that."

With a shrug, Alyson stated, "I'm not ready."

Danny sighed deeply, leaning his elbow on the window. "You're never ready." He started the truck once more. "Want me to take you home?"

She hesitated. Alyson did feel guilty, but it didn't overpower her anxiety about staying in the truck with him. Shaking her head, Alyson opened the passenger door. "I'll walk." Her house was just on the other side of the park.

"No wait," Danny urged. She turned to look at him, her legs dangling out the truck. "It's too dark and too cold. Lemme drive you. It'll take two minutes."

Alyson half smiled. Danny really wasn't a bad guy. But the thought of him driving her brought about the act of the Goodnight Kiss, which was inevitable if he took her home. "You're sweet," she told him. "I do like you, Danny." With that, she hopped out, pulling her purse strap over her shoulder and closing the heavy door behind her. She took a few steps, turning back to wave. She could tell he was chuckling, and he gave a small wave in return, backing the truck up.

After retrieving her flashlight, Alyson flicked light onto the tan, crackly grass and started walking. Honestly, she wasn't too sure which direction her house was in, but anything was better than spending another awkward minute with Danny. The light of her flashlight didn't burn as brightly as it used to, which was surprising, because she rarely used it. Alyson never walked home in the dark (at least not by herself).

Danny had parked the truck in the sparse line of trees on the outskirts of a large field. Alyson was now trudging through said field, the ground soft and the grass brushing her thighs. She wondered how this could really be considered a park, and why no one had been out there recently to mow it.

Suddenly Alyson was homesick. She wanted to get home to cuddle up with her cats: Cheshire, Chester, and Jester. It was so late, her dad would have to be home by now. Alyson sighed to realize she even missed Danny, and maybe she should've just put up with him for a couple more minutes. She could've been home by now. Instead, she was freezing, and starting to feel lost. She reached out, letting the grass tickle the palm of her hand, attempting to calm herself down.

This was silly, she decided. She was missing home, missing people, missing her breath now and again. _Get a grip, Ward. _Alyson heard her Gym coach's voice in her head. _Get a grip, Ward. _Yeah, that's what she'd said when Alyson had a mini panic attack because a girl opened the wrong shower curtain. _You all have the same parts, or whatever. Not like you've got something she doesn't see when she looks in the mirror._

"Focus," Alyson whispered to herself. _'Why am I having these thoughts now? Just because I'm a little freaked out to be walking home in the dark? Stay calm, you're probably almost there.'_

**"Alyson."**

She turned quickly, looking in all directions. That sounded kind of like Danny's voice, but different. With a sigh, she nodded. Of course he would follow her out here. Alyson was partially relieved when she saw what looked like a flashlight coming from the distance. She picked up her pace, fast walking back in that direction. "Danny, thank god. I thought I was los-"

**"Come here."**

The light steadied, as if Danny was standing completely motionless. Alyson slowed a bit, squinting into the white light. Danny's voice sounded different, definitely. "Danny?" she asked sheepishly. Her own flashlight flickered, and she studied it before beating it into her palm. "Damn," she mumbled. The light burned out, and Alyson found herself dropping it.

**"Come here."**

Alyson narrowed her eyes at the light which was coming closer. She may've been imagining it, but it seemed to be getting brighter and brighter. "Danny, don't point your light directly in my eyes. I can't see." The light grew before dimming out completely with a dull _buzz_. Alyson was left blind from the residual light, seeing red spots everywhere. She rubbed her eyes, forgetting about her eyeliner. "Damn, Danny. What kinda flashlight is that?"

When she looked back up, Danny wasn't standing there. In the pale moonlight, Alyson could see the outline of a very tall man – perhaps eight foot tall. That couldn't be right. Her eyes were just playing tricks on her, she decided. "Sorry, I thought you were my friend," she told the stranger.

The tall man then extended his arms, which were freakishly long. One arm alone was as big as Alyson, herself. **"Come here," **he said, and this time, he didn't sound like Danny. His voice was low and smooth, but Alyson thought she heard static when he talked.

Alyson was simultaneously terrified and entranced. She didn't know this huge man, but he had open arms. Alyson was confused and cold. She hesitantly stepped towards him, and murmured, "Will you take me home?" There was no response, but she continued anyway. Something inside of her was trying to fight, but her body felt limp. It was as if she were a marionette puppet, and this man was pulling her strings closer, and closer.

Just a few feet from the strange man, Alyson felt something warm trickle down her front lip. She paused to reach a hand up, touching her fingers to her face. Her nose was bleeding. Alyson's heart beat accelerated, and her breathing became audible. When she glanced up once more, all sound canceled out, save a high _ping _that rang through the air. Her head felt heavy, and her eyes felt as though they may explode. Even so, she came closer to the man with outstretched arms.

The closer Alyson drew to the man, the more prominent the sound of static became. At first, it sounded like a frizzy TV with the volume turned down, and the volume only became louder and louder. As she stood directly in front of the man, she thought she heard him speaking, but it was lost as a deep moan under the static and the high pitched squeal that still shattered her ears.

Alyson fell into his arms, and he encased her in a feather-light embrace. Her heart steadied, and she felt calm. This stranger was warm and inviting. Alyson couldn't feel her body, but she wanted to run her hands over the soft fabric of his…suit? It felt smooth against her face.

Her toasty encounter was short-lived, however. Alyson began to feel a growing pressure from all sides. Air was being pushed out of her as everything closed in. Alyson was frozen, stagnant. She wanted to call for help, but couldn't even feel her tongue. The white noise fried her brain, and her eyes fell closed. Alyson felt sharp pains in her chest, and she assumed two things: her heart was protesting the loss of oxygen, or her ribs were snapping. Perhaps both.

Suddenly, everything was white and yellow, like bleached sunlight. Alyson didn't feel anymore, not after she dropped to the ground. She was mush. She was nothing.

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><p>Edward Harvey called 911 when he found Alyson Ward lying in the park at 11 o'clock. He'd been out trying to shoot squirrels – illegally – when he found the young woman in a heap on the ground. The 911 operator told Ed not to move her once he discovered she was still breathing. When paramedics carried Alyson away, their boots squished into the ground, her blood pooling up from the mud.<p>

Alyson had four broken ribs, a broken left arm and a fractured right arm. Even so, she had no bruises, no scars. "It's like she was broken from the inside out," her doctor had said. After Alyson was discharged from the hospital, she stayed in bed for weeks. She only allowed her dad to come in her room to bring a tray of food for breakfast and dinner. Otherwise, she wanted to be left alone. Cheshire, Chester, and Jester meowed outside her door the first few days, aching to see her. Alyson's dad didn't let them in, thinking they'd lay on her arm and re-break it, or something.

At first, Alyson didn't talk about anything. Especially not about what happened that night. Everyone assumed she'd been mugged, but the doctor was happy to report there were no signs of a sexual assault. Alyson's dad was happy to hear that.

One day, Danny dropped by to see her, but Alyson's dad wouldn't let him in her room. She didn't want to see him, anyway. Danny just left her a card and a small bouquet of black eyed susans and daisies. Her dad wasn't too keen on the black eyed susans, thinking it was a jab at Alyson's condition (even though she didn't have a black eye). She only stared at the vase of flowers on her nightstand. Alyson couldn't open the card herself, so her dad read it to her. Alyson wasn't listening.

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><p>It was snowing heavily outside. Alyson was sweating under the electric blanket draped over her, but she didn't complain. Her dad was trying his best. He'd come in with a bowl of chicken soup – most likely from a can – and he was getting a spoonful ready to feed to her, when Alyson mumbled in a strained voice, "Why didn't he kill me?"<p>

Her dad paused, lowering the spoon back into the bowl. This was her first time speaking of her attack. "What do you mean?" he asked, setting the bowl on the nightstand by her vase of flowers.

Alyson looked at him with watery, red eyes. Her throat was scratchy and dry. On top of being severely injured, she'd gotten a fever from laying outside in the cold all night. "Why didn't he just kill me? Why did he leave me alive?" She swallowed, but had nothing to swallow with, so the muscles of her throat only ached at the effort.

Silence passed over them for a minute before he responded, "Maybe he thought he killed you. Ed said your breathing was real shallow when he found you." He reached out tentatively, pushing the damp, brown locks from her forehead. "I'm just so grateful you're okay." He rubbed his thumb in a tender swirl on her temple. "Want me to let the cats in? You could probably use some company other than me."

Alyson hesitated before nodding, and her father stood with a small smile, walking over to the door and opening it. All three cats were already laying there, awaiting their chance to see Alyson. Jester bolted in, leaping onto Alyson's bed without a second's notice. Chester stretched first before moseying in and meowing for permission to get up on the bed with Jester. Cheshire laid on the ground for a minute before getting up and moving to the bed like the others.

As if knowing about her condition, all three cats stayed around her legs, not bothering to come closer. Alyson's dad was thankful for that. He helped his daughter sit up, and started to feed her the soup he'd brought.

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><p><strong>AN: **So, I've actually been doing my homework on Slenderman. Apparently, the more obsessed with him you are, the more obsessed he is with you. It's kind of like the advice I got from a librarian once: "If you're looking for something, you'll eventually find it." Part of me is a little scared, because I can't stop thinking about him. I'm reading the mythology and forums with people's experiences; I'm watching _Marble Hornets _almost nonstop. Eep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Wow already a review, thanks! Since I'm updating so quickly, and there's only one review, I won't make a wall of fame for this chapter, but I will include stripesthetiger11 on the wall of fame for the next chapter.

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><p>Since the school year was nearly over, Alyson didn't return to school. She took all her final tests at home, under the supervision of the school counselor, Mrs. Burges, who was already coming by once a week to check on Alyson's progress. "This is your senior year, Alyson," Mrs. Burges reminded her. "I understand that you can't come back to finish your classes, but maybe you'd like to come on the senior trip? Things wouldn't be the same without you."<p>

After hearing that Alyson had mentioned the incident to her dad, Mrs. Burges tried to get her talking about it again. Of course, Alyson's dad was there with her – moral support and all that. He held her right hand gently (since the fracture in that arm was nearly healed and she was able to use it if she was careful). "Aly," he began, "Mrs. Burges and I think that it might be best for you if maybe you talked a bit about what happened that night. Plus, it'd really help the police if you could remember anything about what he looked like."

Alyson shook her head, and Mrs. Burges leaned forward, touching her leg hesitantly. "I know this is hard for you. I was mugged once, too. It's a very scary experience." Alyson wanted to roll her eyes, but resisted the urge. "But, the longer you keep this all in, the more it's going to hurt you, sweetheart."

It was all so frustrating to her. All this time, everyone had just assumed Alyson had been mugged. Somehow, no one had noticed that there was no money missing from her purse. There were no signs of a sexual assault, either. What kind of mugger would randomly attack someone, then take nothing? None of them knew the truth, and they never would.

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><p>Danny came by to visit when he heard Alyson was starting to get up and walk around. The doctor had said that she was healing beautifully, and that exercise would be best for her. Alyson didn't look her best, but she was still lovely in Danny's eyes. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and she wore a sleeveless shirt, as not to bother her cast and brace (a thick, green cast still on her left arm, and a brace on her right arm, which had almost fully recovered). A blanket was draped over her naked shoulders, and the house was toasty. Her father was obviously afraid she would freeze to death.<p>

Alyson and Danny sat at the kitchen table. Her father had started back at work again now that Alyson could get around on her own, so they were left alone. They were silent, aside from Alyson's long fingernails drumming on the tabletop. Danny stared at her, and she stared everywhere but at him. He very slowly reached out, placing his hand on hers. Alyson tensed, looking up to meet his eyes. With a half smile, she turned her hand so that their fingers could lock together. "Hi," she whispered.

Danny breathed a laugh, looking down at the table. His lips pressed into a line, and his brows furrowed. Alyson realized he was trying not to cry, and she squeezed his hand, to the best of her ability. "It's all my fault," he mumbled. "I should have never let you out of my truck. If I hadn't made you feel so uncomfortable, you would've stayed and this wouldn't have-"

Alyson shushed him, rubbing his hand now as he choked back his fear. "None of it was your fault, Danny," she stated, her voice still quiet. "I was the one who wanted to take a walk through the park in the middle of the night." He attempted to protest, but she shushed him again, looking at the table. "Come here?"

No hesitation. Danny left his chair and knelt in front of her, hugging her waist and putting his face in her stomach. Alyson half smiled, running her fingers through his hair as he trembled. She was terrified, too, but she couldn't show that now. "I'm sorry I worried you," she told him, enjoying the feel of his soft, black hair between her fingers.

Danny looked up at her, his brown eyes red and watery. He wasn't crying yet. Very gently, he took her face in both his hands, just looking at her. His breath shuddered, as if he was so happy to see her face hadn't changed, other than the dark rings under her eyes. "Aly, I love you." That was his first time saying it, but both of them glided over it. No point in making a big deal about it, right? They both knew she didn't feel the same way.

He left shortly after. Alyson walked him to the door, but he stopped in the doorway. She looked at him questioningly. "Danny?"

He didn't speak right away. He just stared somewhere distant before turning, not looking directly in her eyes. "I'm going to find him. Guys like that usually stay in the same area. I'm going after him, tonight."

With that, Danny was gone. Alyson wanted to stop him, but what could she say? _You don't stand a chance against an eight foot man who controls your mind with static. _Yeah, cause that'd really keep the counselor away. There was nothing she could do but stand there and watch Danny pull away.

He probably wouldn't be back.

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><p>Alyson had to think of what to do. There was the possibility that the Strange Man who attacked her would let Danny live, too. Or maybe he'd kill Danny, break all his bones and turn his guts to applesauce. It all brought Alyson back to her original question: why had she been spared? Whatever that <em>man <em>was, he had obviously been capable of killing her, so why didn't he?

Her father wouldn't be back from work for a few more hours. The sun was setting now. Soon Danny would be going to the park. If Alyson could only make it there first, maybe she could stop him. Or maybe she could use herself as bait for the Strange Man. She just couldn't let Danny walk out there to his death.

Alyson struggled slightly to get a jacket over her cast and brace. Both her arms were sore, but when she had to use her left arm to push up her right sleeve, it felt like torture. She winced and tried hard not to cry, but pushed through the pain. Alyson grabbed her keys, about to dash into the garage, but stopped. She stared at the keys in her hand, wondering what she should do. There was no way she could possibly drive with two injured arms and sore ribs. But if she walked, she might not make it there in time.

She walked out the front door, locking it behind her, and started walking as quickly as possible. Moving too quickly made her ribs burn, so she paced herself. The sun was going down, and soon everything would go to Hell.

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><p>Alyson made it to the park just as it was getting dark. Danny wouldn't be there yet; he'd wait until later, around the time that Alyson had left his truck. She had a few hours. Reaching into her purse, Alyson searched for her flashlight. She mumbled a curse under her breath, then stilled. "Damn." She'd dropped it all those weeks ago when she encountered the Tall Man.<p>

Maybe she should turn back. Not being able to see wasn't going to help her. But, then again, she didn't really want to see what the Tall Man looked like up close. And even if she could get close, who was to say the same thing wouldn't happen again?

Alyson slowly walked into the park, looking all around. She wasn't exactly sure where she'd see the Tall Man, or what would happen when she saw him. Part of her hoped that Danny would find her first, and she could convince him to go home.

As time passed, Alyson was coming up short handed. This guy was nowhere to be found. At least the park was deserted. Maybe Danny had been all talk. It made sense – he tells Alyson that he beat up the guy that "mugged" her, Alyson gets comfort, he gets to be the hero. She laughed at herself for not having thought of that before.

While she was walking, Alyson tripped on something, stumbling forward. She caught herself with her right arm, crying out in agony. With her luck, that fracture had just been opened again. When she regained her composure, Alyson sat up to see what she tripped over. She reached out, picking it up in her hands. She scoffed. Her flashlight, somehow still there. Alyson clicked the button, but no dice. "Great."

That's when it hit her. This was the same spot she'd been attacked at. She stood up as quickly as possible, looking around. Maybe he was here. When she didn't see the Tall Man anywhere, she sighed in relief, walking again. She checked her phone for the time, but the battery was dead. "That's strange," she murmured to herself. "I charged it before I left."

Alyson searched the whole park, never finding Danny nor the Tall Man. As she approached a line of trees towards the back of the park, she noticed a fog beginning to settle in. It must be late, and her father could be home by then, worrying about her. He could be on the phone with the police, ready to send out a search for her.

Even so, Alyson couldn't stop her feet. She walked into the dense forest, trying to guide herself around trees and over large rocks. The last thing she needed was to fall down again. The moon didn't cast much light, as it was only a crescent, so Alyson had her right hand outstretched, feeling for trees.

Suddenly, Alyson felt cold, chain link fence under her fingers. She hadn't even known this was here. If this was where the park ended, what was on the other side? And that's when she felt him there. She whipped around, still not able to see him. Alyson felt the Tall Man's long, warm fingers snaking around her neck, and her first thought was that he was going to strangle her. Instead, he pulled her close, just like during their first encounter. However, this time, there was no deafening white noise, no crushing bones. He just held her, and Alyson knew it was him. She remembered his warmth, his smooth suit. Common sense left her, and she found herself closing her eyes, leaning into his embrace.

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><p>"Alyson! Alyson baby wake up."<p>

Alyson's eyelids slowly fluttered open, but everything was dark and hazy. She recognized her father's voice. "Daddy where am I?" Every sound was muffled and felt far away. She reached out a hand blindly into the dark.

He was hugging her now, being careful not to jostle her arms. "You're in the floor of the garage, sweetie. What're you doing out here? Were you sleep walking?"

"I-I don't remember," Alyson half-lied. Last she recalled, she was in the arms of the Tall Man, actually _enjoying_ his presence. Yep, she'd definitely gone off her rocker. "My meds kinda make me feel funny sometimes." It was the only excuse she could think of.

Alyson's father helped her in the house, sitting her down on the couch. He gave her a once over, saying, "You're filthy. Did you leave the house?"

She looked down at herself, seeing dirt on her clothes and skin. "I don't remember." Maybe that had happened when she fell down in the park.

When he noticed there were no dirty dishes in the sink, her dad told her, "I'll make you something to eat. Poor thing, you must be starved." He hung up his coat and headed into the kitchen. "Maybe I should take some more time off work. If you're sleep walking, I shouldn't be leaving you alone."

Shaking her head and closing her eyes tight, Alyson replied, "Dad, I'm fine, really. I'd hate for you to miss more work because of me. And you don't have to make anything for me. I actually feel kinda sick." That wasn't a lie. Alyson picked herself up off the couch, speeding to the bathroom, stumbling along the way, and locking herself in. She began convulsing, pressing a hand to her mouth until she could get to the toilet. Alyson dropped to her knees with a painful _bang_ and vomited into and onto the toilet. Her dad was knocking at the door, but she couldn't respond.

Afterwards, Alyson went to bed without a word. She laid there, staring up at her ceiling, trying to remember. The Tall Man had been holding her. What came next was lost to her. Maybe he left and she trudged home in a daze. If Danny had found her, he wouldn't have left her in the garage. There weren't many other options. Except…

The Tall Man could've brought her home. But that would mean he knew where her home was.

"He knows where I live."

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><p><strong>AN: **Right now, I'm on _Entry #66 _of _Marble Hornets _and jeez this is getting creepy, but I can't stop! I missed two classes today to watch these videos. Guess who's probably gonna fail college!

Oh, and if you're wondering why this story is called _Robbers_, I was kinda inspired by the song "Robbers" by The 1975. Plus, I'm not good at coming up with titles, so…


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